Spark-plug terminal



E. A. JONES.

SPARK PLUG TERMINAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1920.

1,382,090, Patented June 21, 1921.

portion of the spark plug.

EUG'EIZTE A. JONES, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SPARK-PLUG TERMINAL.

Application filed January 6, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EUGENE A. Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county or Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement Comprising a Spark.- llug Terminal, of which the tollowing'is a specification.

My invention relates to internal combus tion engines, and more especiallyto the ignition of such engines. t is at the present time standard practice in the art to provide spark plugs which are usually formed of porcelain and which pass through the head oi the cylinder into the explosion space, these spark plugs carryinga spark gap at the -inner end and being connected to some source of high tension electricity which is caused to discharge through the spark plug and across the spark gap at the instant that the explosion is desired. it is a well known fact that the efficiency of the spark gap inside the engine can be increased if another spark gap is placed in series with it, and many devices have been made for this purpose.

ln my invention 1 provide a plurality of spark gaps for each spark plug outside the engine, these spark gaps being arranged in multiple with each other and in "series with the spark gap inside the engine. l am unable to ex lain the electrical theory of my invention, but I know from practical experiments that a much fatter and larger spark is obtained at the spark gap inside the engins with my, device in place than is possible where my invention is not used;

llteiierring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only,

l igure 1 is a side elevation of a part of an ensine with the spark plug in place therein.

2 is an enlarged VlBW of the upper Fig.3 is a plan view of clamping nut removed.

the form of my invention illustrated in drawings. the engine is shown at 11 l a spark plug 12; this sparlrplug is fed with high tension current through a i tension cable 13 from suitable standard ionapparatus not shown. tlecured to the ended the cahle 13 is a terminal "i l which is preferably formed oi copper or brass sheet which is flattened out to forms an eve'and provided with hole it which is somewhat la than the connection stud. ll 0 the the same with the Specification of Letters Patent. Pmtrgmt gd Jmmgg 21 1921 Serial No. 3 19,8752.

a hole being left in the center of the insulation 20 somewhat larger than the stud 17, and the terminal with its insulation is clamped in place between a fixed nut 21 and a nut 22threaded on the stud 17. The insulation 20 is so disposed that the eye 15 does not come into direct metallic contact with the stud 17 or the nuts 21 and 22. in moldingthe insulation about the eye 15, however, four cavities are formed in the top of the insulation the eye 15 being exposed through these openings. When the. nut 22 is screwed in place tour spark gaps are formed between the bottom of the nut 22 and the top of the eye 15 through the cavities 30. It is obvious that these cavities might be formed between the eye 15 and the nut 21, if desired. Upon supplying the high tension current through the cable 13 it must jump across the gap in the cavity 30 and then through the stud 17 and the spark gap on the inner end .of the spark plug 12 in the standard manner. It should be noted that the cavities 30 are entirely inclosed on all sides when the nut 22 is screwed down so that the air is excluded therefrom and so that there is no danger of the spark igniting any gasolene vapor which may be floating inside the engine hood.

ll claim as my invention:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a spark plug having a connection stud in the top thereof; a high tension terminal; insulation interlocked with said terminal and having an opening through which said stud passes without electrical contact with said terminal' and a threaded on said stud and clamping said insulation to the top of said snark plug. said insulation being cut awav form a i ever which electrical discharges may pass from said terminal t said stud.

2. in an internal combus H snarl-c plus a connectioh stud in the top thereof: a hi h tension tel inal; insulaion between sair rminal said nut harinn' an opening; through which said stud pass s without electri d contact with salt" terminal: and nut tn died on stud and clamping said insulation to thetop' of said spark plug, said insulation being cut away to form a sparkgap over which electrical discharges may pass from said terminal to said stud.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a spark plug having a connection stud in the top thereof; a high tension terminal {insulation between said terminal and said nut hav- 10 ing an opening through which said stud away to form a spark gap in which a portion 15 of said terminal is embedded.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set vmy hand at Los Angeles, California, this 30th day of December, 1919.

ENGENEI A. JONES. 

